Music Video Analysis 2 - Nick

Track: Pretender
Artist: Foo Fighters

• This video is a performance based video
• There is a voyeuristic approach within the video with the riot police watching the band playing for nearly all the video before they decide to attack the band.
• There are close-ups of the band members faces throughout the video which helps to create a star image for the band and is what the audience want to see in the videos is the band. Tracking shots, zooms and panning shots are frequently used techniques throughout the video.
• The video has a void feeling about it for the vast majority of the video as the band is simply performing with nothing else within the room until the final minute of the song.
• There is a link between the lyrics and the visuals with the line I'm the hand that will take you down Bring you to your knees at which point the riot police are bought down to their knees by the water exploding from behind the screen.
• A link is there between the music and the visuals with the louder chorus at the end matching when the water explodes and there are far more cuts of the shots at this point then anywhere else within the video.
• The conventions of a rock music video are met within the video as there is mainly a performance based video but has a little narrative due to the lyrics and the actions on the screen between the riot police and the band. This also connotes rebellion of the band as they are rebelling against the police/state. The band seem to have a determined look in the video and at the end of the song he throws his guitar away which adds to a rebellious image of the band.
• I feel the video stands up to rebeat viewings as it entertaining in the way that there is a stand off between the band and the police in the video and it makes for compelling viewing and we want to know why there is any anger between the two sides in the video.